Washington Post Local Homepage
Client: Personal Project
Type: Web
Description: Recently, the Washington Post underwent a site-wide redesign. As part of the redesign, section pages like metro were rebranded and underwent a transition to module-based templates. This, to make the section page “more dynamic and its presentation consistent.” An unintended consequence of this shift to modules, however, has been a cluttered, text-heavy page with poor-quality images and confusing information hierarchy. A frequent reader of the site, the impetus behind this exercise came from a desire to improve upon these areas.
The solution is a grid-based layout with a defined hierarchy of information. Atop the page is a horizontal dynamic content module, which allows for top content to be displayed. Below, the page’s above-the-fold area is divided into 3 distinct fields: far left, is the top local news feed (which would operate dynamically, pulling in all latest content); center, is the section’s most salient news item, accompanied by a large image and links to related content and user comments; at the far right, below the 300x250 advertising unit, the columns and blogs are consolidated in a shared space. The overall effect is a cleaner layout with stronger visuals and the same amount of editorial content on display.
Role: Design
